Being Draco Malfoy's Roommate
by katelynmauntel
Summary: Hermione Granger could handle trolls, deadlines, and a house full of Weasleys. Finding a place to live after Hogwarts however proves to be a challenge. Enter Draco Malfoy who will show her exactly how difficult living with a man can be.


**Being Draco Malfoy's Roommate**

"Oh Draco! Stop it; I'm not that kind of girl," a woman giggled in the living room and then suddenly I could hear them kiss.

In my bedroom, I rolled my eyes at the closed door as I returned to the notes I had on my desk. Every night, a different woman said those exact words. Every morning, I caught the woman doing a walk of shame as they left the apartment. Those were always interesting. Some women would blush and hurry out of the apartment. Others would smirk at me and strut out of the apartment like they owned the place. They all had one thing in common: Once Draco slept with them, he would make it a point to never see them again.

I leaned back in my office chair and groaned. I wouldn't be able to get any work done until Draco took his latest fling to his bedroom. Sometimes I wondered how I, Hermione Granger, became roommates with Draco Malfoy. I could still remember the names we would call each other when we were younger. We were vicious and merciless in our taunting. I wish I could pin the blame on him, but I was also to blame. I wished more than once that I could go back in time and return to Hogwarts. Things were a lot simpler back then.

After graduating from Hogwarts, I had always expected to find a place to live with Harry and Ron. We did everything together, so I was shocked and a little hurt, when they found a place without me. I was desperate to find a place to live as well as a roommate. I had been accepted to a healing school and as happy as I was, it was expensive. I couldn't afford to go to school, rent an apartment, and pay for my living expenses all by myself. I just needed someone to pay half the rent, food, and bills and I would survive.

For the life of me, I could not find a roommate. I asked all of my friends but they had already planned their accommodations. Not only was I embarrassed for not making these plans more in advanced, but I had stooped so low I asked Lavender Brown if she was interested in getting a place together. I can still hear her laughter ringing in my ears. I was stressed out. I only had one month until school started to figure it out.

One day, I was complaining to Ginny about my living situation (her and Luna had decided to be roommates) when the strangest thing happened. Pansy Parkinson walked up to our table.

"_I still can't find a place. I don't know what I'm going to do!" I said almost hysterically to Ginny. _

_Ginny grabbed my waving hands, "Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. You are going to figure something out. You can always sleep on our couch until you figure something out. I still can't believe Harry and Ron would put you in this position. Well, I can believe it but they're such idiots!" _

"_I couldn't help but overhear, but are you looking to rent a place?" Pansy Parkinson asked after she arrived at our table. _

_I couldn't help but stare dumbly at her. I had never talked to Pansy and here she was inquiring about my living situation! Her long, straight black hair was styled in an elegant bun and her makeup was simple. Surprisingly, she no longer looked like the pug I remembered. She was wearing leggings, a pale pink shirt, and a comfortable looking black cardigan and she was carrying a yoga mat bag. I was jealous with how put together and fit she looked while I was currently sporting frizzy hair going in every direction and a coffee stain on my shirt._

"_Hermione Granger?" Pansy waved her hand in front of my face to get my attention. _

"_Sorry, my brain was somewhere else. Yes I am, why?" I asked nervously but also hopefully. _

"_My friend Draco Malfoy is looking for a roommate. He just bought an apartment and is looking to rent out half of it to someone," she told me kindly. _

"_Do you really think that he would live with me considering our history?" I asked doubtfully. _

"_Honestly, I don't know. He's matured quite a bit since you last saw him. It wouldn't hurt to ask," Pansy sighed, then looked at her watch, "Merlin! I'm going to be late for yoga. It was nice talking to you and I hope everything works out!" _

_I stared at the spot she was last standing trying to process what she had told me. Draco Malfoy was looking for a roommate and he already had a place. We didn't get along in school, but maybe, just maybe, this could work out. Pansy used to snub me at school, but here she was helping me out even though we barely knew each other. _

"_You're not seriously thinking about it are you?" Ginny asked me exasperated. _

_I sighed feeling guilty, "I am thinking about it. I have asked absolutely everyone that I know and everyone already has some type of arrangement sorted. I even asked Lavender Brown that's how desperate I am. I'll owl him and the worse thing that happens is that he says no and he'll taunt me for the rest of my life."_

After I sent the owl, I didn't hear back from him for days. I remembered picturing all the possible future encounters I could have with Draco taunting me and throwing in my face that no one wanted to live with me. It felt like weeks later before he finally replied telling me to meet him at a specific address.

The rest is pretty much history. We moved into the two bedrooms, two bathroom apartment that he had bought. Initially, we avoided interacting. We spent most of our time in our respective rooms and would come out at separate times to prepare our individual meals. I remember feeling pangs of loneliness during that time. Although it was a small apartment, the silence just made me feel even more alone. I had gone from living in the almost obnoxiously loud Gryffindor dorms the year before to a deafening silence.

This routine continued on for a few months, until one day everything changed. I don't know who decided it first, but we started to talk. Small things at first such as, "Can you take out the garbage?" or "We ran out of milk". Eventually, we started to share stories of our days. Draco was studying business and he would tell me about the interesting facts he learned such as "Did you know that Lapointe not only owns Gladrags but also owns a muggle clothing store? Do you know how much more money you could make by investing in both worlds?" I would tell him stories about what we learned in our different labs such as learning which spells to use to take vital signs or how to brew a pregnancy test potion. He had a pretty weak stomach, so I couldn't go into as much detail as I would have liked sometimes.

This was my second year living with him and I am so glad that everything turned out this way. With our conflicting schedules, Harry, Ron, and I drifted apart. We could no longer bond over living together, going on adventures, or going to the same school. We had chosen different career paths, so I really didn't have anything in common with them. It still makes me sad to think that our friendship wasn't as eternal as I had once thought it would be.

On the other hand, Draco had become my best friend. He was always there for me when I needed him. When I was sick, he would bring me movies to entertain myself with and make me chicken noodle soup. He was extremely supportive when Crookshanks died. No one else had mourned him, but Draco even went through the process of finding him a place to get buried. He was the only person who showed up when I put my dear pet to rest. Our friendship took a lot time to build, but now it felt unbreakable. He even punched my ex-boyfriend John when I found out he had cheated on me. Although I scolded him, I was happy that there was someone there to look out for me the way that Harry and Ron once did.

Finally, I heard Draco's bedroom door close. I quietly exited my room and made some tea. As I waited for my tea to steep, my thoughts once again wandered.

"_Hermione, I love you, but you're blind," Ginny told me during our lunch with Pansy who had become our good friend. _

"_I have to agree with Ginny on this one," Pansy added, "You love him." _

"_Of course I love him, he's my best friend," I replied not understanding what they were getting at. _

"_No, you're in love with him," Ginny replied pushing her red hair out of her face in frustration. _

"_I don't understand why you guys keep bringing this up!" I replied raising my voice in irritation that they couldn't drop this subject. _

"_Because we love you and we hate to see you like this," Pansy said comfortingly._

"_You guys are both wrong," I said angrily throwing money on the table, grabbing my stuff and left. _

Oh how naïve I had been. The first time Draco brought someone home; I called Pansy on her cell phone in tears. I hadn't realized that I had had feelings for him until I saw him with someone else. Before that, it had just been the two of us making dinner, watching TV, and talking late into the night. Draco was the only guy that not only listened to my opinions, but also challenged them. He wouldn't let me get away with things like Harry and Ron had. Sometimes we would swap books and talk about how amazing or how bad it was.

Now, I no longer just had feelings for him; I had fallen in love with him. I still remember the exact moment I realized it was more than a crush.

_The snow was falling softly onto the ground making everything white and sparkly. There was a bit of a chill in the air, so I had a fluffy blanket wrapped around me as I drank my tea. I couldn't fall asleep, so when that would happen, I would look outside. I only did this when it was winter, because it was my favorite season. Everything was so peaceful and quiet._

"_What are you doing awake?" Draco asked pulling me from my thoughts. _

"_I couldn't sleep, what about you?" I asked turning to look at him. _

_His hair was disheveled and he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked so much like a little boy that I just wanted to cuddle him. _

"_I woke up early so I could go to the library and study. I have a midterm in a few days," he explained as he joined me by the window. _

_That was another thing that impressed me. He was the only other person that I found that took his studies as seriously as I took mine. He would wake up at five in the morning and then study until ten at night. I couldn't study such long hours. I was in complete awe in his ability to do so. _

"_What have you been thinking about this evening, Jane?" he asked me curiously. _

"_It's pretty deep, I wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed," I said smiling at his nickname for me. _

"_Try me," he smiled back. _

"_I don't know really. I was just thinking about relationships and the whole idea of soul mates. I remember that everyone expected Ron and I to get married, but it never felt right. I was just wondering if it would ever feel right with someone and if the whole concept of soul mates is a lie," I explained. _

"_I believe that my parents are soul mates," he told me, "No really, don't give me that look. I have never seen two people more in love than them. The surprising thing is that they had an arranged marriage. My father told me that they didn't fall in love right away either. They became a team and then eventually they fell in love, but their love was moving. It wasn't short and fleeting like we often see these days." _

"_Wow, I would love to be able to experience that someday," I said looking back at the falling snow. _

_We spent the next few minutes in silence, each contemplating our own thoughts. I don't know which I loved more, the silences we shared or our conversations. Our silences were never awkward; it was comforting to be able to just be in his presence. I turned to look at him and I found him looking at me as well. The dim lighting gave his grey eyes an almost eerie glow. I took a moment to just take in all of his features. It wasn't right that he was as attractive as he was. I felt my arms break out in goose bumps as I returned his stare. _

_I was caught off guard when he kissed me. It was a slow, tender, and almost loving kiss. His arms were wrapped around my waist and my hands gently rested on his forearms. One of my hands went to cup his cheek as I returned his kiss. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. We stared at each other for a few seconds before he pulled away. _

"_I need to get to the library now," he said suddenly. _

"_Okay, have fun?" I asked not quite sure what to say. _

_He left shortly after that and I finally was able to fall asleep remembering the feel of his arms around me. It was in that moment that I realized that I would do anything for the man that I lived with. He had taken my heart that day and I hoped that he wouldn't do it any damage. _

I finally took a sip of my tea to find that it had gotten cold while I was deep in thought. That night I had thought that my dream had finally come true. I was excited for Draco to return from studying to see what would change between us now that we had kissed. I made supper that night putting extra care into it so that it would turn out perfectly. I remember how upset I had been when he didn't show up that night. When I did finally see him, things did change but not in the way I thought it would. It felt like there was an enormous distance that I couldn't cross between us. I asked Pansy if Draco had shared anything with her, but she told me that I was putting her in an awkward position by asking her that. That had been six months ago and thankfully Draco and I were almost back to normal. Almost, because I couldn't forget the love I had for him.

"Another late night?" Draco asked me making me jump in fright.

"How many times have I told you not to do that?" I asked annoyed.

He laughed, "It's not my fault you scare so easily. You were so deep in thought that you wouldn't have noticed if a herd of elephants came trampling through our kitchen. Mind if I steal some tea?"

"Go ahead," I smiled as I stepped out of the way.

I hated what he wore to bed. He wore pajama pants put the way they hung low on his hips made me want to burn them. He also refused to wear a shirt to bed. Draco looked like he walked straight out of an Abercrombie commercial. I really should throw those pajama pants out one of these days without his knowledge.

"So why are you up late this time?" Draco asked as he finished making his tea.

"I have a paper due next week. I have to compare the rate of obesity in muggles versus wizards and find evidence to support my findings. I'm almost finished gathering my evidence," I told him omitting the part where his latest conquest was noisy; how hard was it to put up a silencing charm?

His grey eyes searched mine before sighing, "My guest and I were being too noisy. I'm sorry Jane."

"It's okay. It happens," I said rolling my eyes at his nickname for me, "When are you going to finally settle down? Your mother has been pestering me about your love life again. The sooner you settle down, the less she'll pester me."

"I don't know. One night stands are easy. Alexis really hurt me when she cheated on me and I don't know if I'll be able to trust anyone after that," he explained.

I felt like punching his ex girlfriend. They had dated and broken up before I moved in with him, but I could still see the impact she had left on him.

"It will take some time, but Alexis is just one person. It sucks that that happened to you, because I know exactly how that feels. You can't let what happened between you guys affect your future like this. You're running away from relationships and it's sad to see," I told him hoping that he wouldn't get too angry at my statement.

I was surprised to see him with his head in his hands, "I'm sorry for pushing you, Draco, I had no right."

"No you're right. You usually are," he answered, "I guess I should listen to you for once."

"I do understand what you're going through, because I went through something similar with Brett. When an opportunity comes around, you can't shy away from it. Otherwise Brett and Alexis win. I don't mean that you should start right this second, but think about taking someone out for a drink and not sleeping with them. Although, I don't know how you'll survive," I joked.

"Thank you for setting me straight. I'm lucky that I have you around to keep me from making mistakes. I actually think I have someone in mind that I should take out on a date," Draco smiled at the thought.

"Oh really? You should do it," I answered trying to squish the hope that had started to form; there was no way that could be me.

Draco put his cup in the sink and started walking back to his bedroom. I stood there a little confused at how the conversation had ended. Who was this girl?

"Draco, what are you doing?" I asked apprehensively.

"I'm going to bed. I need to get my beauty sleep if I'm going to ask Astoria out tomorrow in class. Good night, Jane," he said as he walked back into his room.

I didn't move as I was trying to get over my disappointment. Did that really just happen? I didn't just convince the man I was in love with to go pursue another girl. Didn't that kiss six months ago mean anything? At this point I couldn't cry, because I was too stunned. What made him notice me that night and why hadn't he noticed me since then? I could feel the tears start to come so I quickly ran to the floo and went to Ginny's apartment. She was thankfully sleeping alone, so I crawled into bed with her.

"Draco again?" Ginny asked half asleep.

I couldn't respond, I just burst into tears. She turned around and held me as I cried.

"He's an asshole," she said as she rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"I know," I said sobbing, "But I still love him anyways."

"I know you do. It's going to be okay. I'm here for you," Ginny said as I continued to cry in her arms.

I know that I should move on, but that would mean cutting Draco out of my life for awhile possibly for good. I didn't think I could handle losing him even if it was only temporary. I hoped that Astoria would be just another fling and that one day Draco would realize that I was the person that he was missing in the romantic part of his life. I fell asleep hoping that someday it would work out.


End file.
